The Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo has relocated and is opening this Thursday at its new location on Schildergasse opposite Galeria Kaufhof. Japanese drummers will be performing to celebrate and the mouse and elephant will also be present in the pedestrian zone.
Uniqlo had previously been at home on the corner of Hohe Straße and Gürzenichstraße, 120 meters away, since 2018 - in a building newly constructed by Art-Invest with particularly large windows that were praised at the time as ideal for presenting the brand. The product range was offered there on five floors.
Now there are only three floors in the more conventional former H&M premises on Schildergasse. The sales area is a third smaller.
The decision to relocate was made because the Schildergasse location is "more prominent", according to a spokesperson. The business in Hohe Straße had "worked very well". But it was also the case that the fifth floor had been rather poorly frequented. The smaller space now makes it easier for both customers and employees. The move is a "commitment to Cologne", the city was one of the first locations in Germany.
Cooperation with Zappes-Broi
According to the spokesperson, the brand is not particularly "loud" - there is very little advertising, for example. Now the aim is to attract even more attention with local collaborations, including WDR-Maus, Zappes-Broi and Cologne artist Marcel Kreuzer.
Uniqlo continues its expansion in Germany with three new openings
The global clothing company Uniqlo will open three new stores in fall 2025, including the first stores in the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Munich. In addition, Uniqlo will relocate its presence in Cologne to a more prominent location on Schildergasse. The openings mark the next step in the company's expansion plans in Germany, bringing its presence in the country to twelve stores. In Frankfurt am Main, Uniqlo will open over two floors on around 1,600 square meters in the Taurus project at Biebergasse 6-10. The new store in Munich will open at Leopoldstrasse 35, also over two floors in the space formerly occupied by Zara. In Cologne, the store will move from Hohe Strasse to Schildergasse 24-30, taking up a total of around 1,450 square meters over three floors.
"We are looking forward to expanding our business in Germany, where Uniqlo will increase its presence from ten to twelve stores and relocate to Cologne before the end of 2025. Our aim is to bring LifeWear, clothing created on the basis of our Japanese values of quality, simplicity and durability, to a wider audience in Germany. After more than ten years in this market, we think this is a great moment to launch our brand in two new cities,' comments Kohsuke Kobayashi, Chief Operating Officer for Uniqlo Germany and Poland on the upcoming openings.
Uniqlo is a brand of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd, a leading Japanese group of companies with global headquarters in Tokyo. In addition to Uniqlo, the group also owns the brands GU, Theory, Helmut Lang, PLST (Plus T), Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam and J Brand. The company currently operates more than 2,500 Uniqlo stores worldwide. The total number of stores of the Fast Retailing brands now amounts to almost 3,600.
